Stromateis, Books One to Three

by Clement of Alexandria

Publisher:

Catholic University of America

, 1991

Overview

Titus Flavius Clemens Alexandrinus (ca. AD 150–215) wrote the Stromateis, possibly the third work in his trilogy—the Protrepticus, the Paedagogus, and the Stromateis—to direct Christian Gnostics toward the third stage of philosophy—gnosis. For Clement, the only true gnosis was that which presupposed the faith of the Church, that is, apostolic and divinely revealed. But for Clement, the ideas of Greek philosophy were also a divine gift to mankind. All of his writings reflect this reconciliation of faith and knowledge.

The full title of the Stromateis is Miscellanies of Notes of Revealed Knowledge in Accordance with the True Philosophy, and the word stromateis itself means a kind of patchwork quilt. Clement describes the work as a somewhat unorganized collection of flowers or trees that have grown together naturally. Of the eight books some are fragmented or incomplete, but all show Clement as philosopher, theologian, and biblical commentator.

Key Features

• Presents Saint Clement’s attempt to reconcile philosophy with Scripture
• Completes his trilogy of important teaching
• One of 127 published volumes in a well-respected series on the Church Fathers

Contents

Top Highlights

“God grants the majority of his benefits through human intermediaries.” (Page 34)

“Our philosopher holds firmly to these three things: first, contemplation; second, fulfilling the commandments; third, the formation of people of virtue. When these come together they make the Gnostic Christian. If any one of them is missing, the state of Gnostic knowledge is crippled.” (Page 190)

“‘My son: if you accept my words of instruction and keep them deep within you, your ear will listen to wisdom.’⁸ This means that the word is sown and kept deep in the soul of the learner as if in the ground. This is spiritual growth.” (Pages 23–24)

“So all who stretched out towards the truth, Greeks and non-Greeks alike, could be shown to possess some portion of the Word of Truth—some a considerable part, others a fraction, as it falls out.” (Page 64)

“God is responsible for all good things: of some, like the blessings of the Old and New Covenants, directly; of others, like the riches of philosophy, indirectly. (3) Perhaps philosophy too was a direct gift of God to the Greeks before the Lord extended his appeal to the Greeks. For philosophy was to the Greek world what the Law was to the Hebrews, a tutor escorting them to Christ. So philosophy is a preparatory process; it opens the road for the person whom Christ brings to his final goal.” (Page 42)

Product Details

• Title: Stromateis, Books One to Three
• Author: Clement of Alexandria
• Series: The Fathers of the Church
• Volume: 85
• Publisher: Catholic University of America
• Print Publication Date: 1991
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 368
• Era: era:ante-nicene
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Theology › Early works to 1800; Gnosticism › Early works to 1800; Christian life › Early works to 1800
• ISBNs: 0813200857, 0813214335, 9780813200859, 9780813214337
• Resource ID: LLS:STRMTSBKS13
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:58:20Z

About Clement of Alexandria

Titus Flavius Clemens (c.150 – c. 215), known as Clement of Alexandria (to distinguish him from Clement of Rome), was a Christian theologian and the head of the noted Catechetical School of Alexandria. Clement is best remembered as the teacher of Origen. He united Greek philosophical traditions with Christian doctrine and valued gnosis that with communion for all people could be held by common Christians specially chosen by God; vide, e.g. , Stromata, VI.106.4f.